


All That Counts Is Here and Now -- a TLC fic

by Foxen



Series: Cheirophilia [5]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV), the mandalorian (LadyIrinia AU)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Relationship Negotiation, look corin can't keep sleeping tucked away in a corner, new sleeping arrangements, not when there's a perfectly serviceable bed right there, reeeealllly slowly, sorta - Freeform, they're working on it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:20:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22985467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxen/pseuds/Foxen
Summary: When Din stops talking this time, Corin knows he's done. His chest feels tight and warm and full and he's not sure what to say or do now.  Biting at his lower lip, he extracts his wrist from Din's grip, gently, before awkwardly grasping at Din’s hands and semi-entwining their fingers."Me too," he breathes into the dark.Din and Corin work out a new sleeping arrangement that works in both their favors.
Relationships: Corin the Stormtrooper (Rescue and Regret)/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)
Series: Cheirophilia [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1575679
Comments: 15
Kudos: 213





	All That Counts Is Here and Now -- a TLC fic

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Rescue and Regret](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21648874) by [LadyIrina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyIrina/pseuds/LadyIrina). 



> We cackled every time one of you commented about Din's passing thought about new sleeping arrangements. This little fic had already been in the works before we had even finished the first TLC lol.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one!

It’s been a few days since departing from Cavao, and much as he loves the Razor Crest, Corin finds himself missing Susdavi’s home, the home-cooked meals, and easy companionship. He has begrudgingly gotten used to sharing the small sleeping space with the Child again but has dreamed of the soft bed and countless blankets at Susdavi’s, the warmth he had shared with D-

Coring tilts his head back and groans. Of everything he missed about their brief stay with Susdavi, it was sharing space with Din that he misses most. Despite the close quarters of the ship, he and Din have managed to keep to themselves, somehow. They share more casual touches than before, but not many, and Corin  _ aches  _ to go back to holding Din’s hands more often, to brushing his hair off his forehead. But Din hadn’t even had his helmet off much since they had gotten back for some reason, and Corin didn’t feel like it was his place to be asking why.

He sighs, halfheartedly scrubbing at his face while trying to banish his thoughts. He’s been doing that a lot in the last few days and it’s getting harder and harder to keep them at bay. He’s been trying to stay occupied so as not to dwell on them. Today he had helped Din with some of the needed ship repairs by doing some rewiring and welding. Then, after playing with and feeding the Child, Corin had moved on to trying to learn some Twi’lek from one of their datapads. He hoped he would be able to surprise Susdavi with her native language the next time they saw each other.

Now, Corin is just realizing how late it had gotten without him being aware. Vaguely, he remembers that Din had bid him goodnight and had gone to bed a while ago. He stretches as he stands from the chair he had been sitting in for the better part of the last few hours, groaning as his hips pop. Just as he sets the datapad down, he hears the Child begin to fuss awake. He can tell from the sounds he is making that everything is fine, that he just wants a late-night snack.

Sighing, Corin drops down the ladder to the lower level and pads over to the kid’s sleeping space. Before he can start making any louder noises, Corin gathers him close to his chest and sways slightly, mumbling incomplete lullabies into his big ears. Still swaying, he moves over to the small kitchen area and feeds him some of the jerky they’d left on the counter for easy access. The kid coos softly and reaches for the food with grasping fingers. Corin smiles fondly and holds it for him, knowing the kid would be asleep before he finished eating it.

Just as he had predicted, the Child begins to drift off again after only a few gnaws into the jerky. Yawning wildly, Corin sets the half-eaten strip back on the counter before gently tucking the kid back into his bed. He’s barely able to keep his eyes from slipping closed as he pauses to pet the top of Gigi’s head when she looks up to greet him from her place amongst the Child’s blankets.

Sliding the door shut quietly, he yawns widely once more, squeezing his eyes shut as they water. He rubs the back of his neck before pulling his over-shirt off, nearly getting caught in the process. He stumbles out of his boots and pants with some difficulty before toppling over into the bed with less grace than intended.

He doesn’t realize that he had just fallen into  _ Din’s  _ bed, that he had closed the door to his own sleep space when he had left the Child and Gigi alone, until Din startles awake, eyes wide. As he pulls back, Corin scrambles away and guilt starts to eat at him, now wide awake and heart racing.

_ How could I have just done that? What was I thinking? _

“Sorry, Din. Shit, I’m so s--” He tries to move off the bed as quickly as he can, shame causing his face to burn hot.  _ Stupid.  _ But before he can make it off, or even finish his apology, Din gently grabs him by the wrist.

Corin freezes, his mouth partly open in mid apology. He stares at where Din’s sleep-warm hand is wrapped around his wrist.

Din’s voice is soft. Hushed. “Corin...it’s okay.” He licks his lips before continuing, “...You can stay. If you want.” The last part almost sounds like a question, hesitation rounding out the end of the sentence.

Corin looks up at him, startled. Distantly, he realizes that Din had been sleeping without his helmet on.

“What.”

He’s unaware that he has spoken until Din continues talking.

“You just….startled me, is all.” His voice remains quiet and Corin can’t tell if it’s because he had woken him up or if it was intentional on Din’s part like he was trying not to frighten Corin like he was a scared animal. He feels a bubble of hysterical laughter crawl up his throat and he doesn’t dare open his mouth in case it bursts forth.

At the sensation of a thumb rubbing at the inside of his wrist, the bubble pops, most of his tension going with it. Corin nods slowly at Din, hardly breathing at all.

In the dark, Corin can see Din’s eyes searching for his own and he’s unsure what the other man is looking for. He must find whatever it is, though, because he leans back onto the bed, not letting go of Corin’s wrist. Instead, he draws Corin down with him and Corin goes in a daze.

His thoughts race.  _ I must be dreaming,  _ he thinks. This feels too much like the nights on Cavao, like deja vu, and he had resigned himself to those kinds of nights being  _ over with _ .

He blinks and finds himself nestled along Din’s side, his head pillowed on his chest under the other man’s chin.

Din still hasn’t let go of his wrist.

Corin is stiff again, uncertain. He never knows when he’s pushing his luck with Din. Especially now. Now, everything feels different and he’s  _ still  _ unsure of where they stand and--

And he’s pretty sure he’s falling in love with the best friend he’s ever had. He lets out a soft whine of distress.

Din’s hand -- the one not sitting on his chest, holding Corin’s hand -- cards through the hairs at the nape of Corin’s neck.

“Shhh. Stop thinking.”

“But--”

Din sighs and Corin feels his chest expand and contract under his cheek, how his heart is racing behind his ribs.

“Corin. You’re tired.” He pauses for a second before continuing, “With Gi’ika bunking with the kid, there isn’t much room for you to sleep there anymore. And you won’t get proper rest in one of the chairs. So sleep. Here.”

Right, okay. Din is giving him a practical reason for this arrangement. Corin can work with that. It doesn’t explain why he’s  _ pillowed on Din’s chest and holding his hand _ , but one thing at a time!

“Okay,” he responds, voice hushed.

They lay there quietly, Corin trying not to hold onto Din's hand with a desperate grip, Din still stroking at the back of his neck. Corin's not expecting Din to say anything more, that this would be just another one of their growing number of unspoken moments together, but he does.

“I…” Din’s voice is hushed, uncertain, and Corin holds his breath, wondering what Din is thinking. When the quiet stretches on, he’s pretty sure Din has fallen asleep again. Which is fine, if a bit disappointing. But then he continues, very softly, “I...sleep better. With you near. Close.”

When Din stops talking this time, Corin knows he's done. His chest feels tight and warm and full and he's not sure what to say or do now. Biting at his lower lip, he extracts his wrist from Din's grip, gently, before awkwardly grasping at Din’s hands and semi-entwining their fingers.

"Me too," he breathes into the dark.

\---

He wakes up once in the night; he’s slightly disoriented, but also comfortable, so he settles back down easily. There’s a warm weight on his chest that he assumes is the Child and he sets his hand over it and rubs gently with his thumb until he falls back to sleep.

When he wakes up completely sometime later, he’s alone. He blinks drowsily, his mind still fogged over with sleep, and wonders where the kid is. As his mind clears, however, he remembers where he is and he sits up, looking around the space. A flush overwhelms his face as he takes in the tangled blankets and clear impression of a second body; the helmet is gone from its place near the head of the bed. Din had obviously woken up to go about his day and while part of him is a little disappointed that he hadn’t woken up with Din still here, the rest of him is terribly glad to have avoided any sort of awkward conflict.

Covering his face with his hands as a groan escapes between his lips, he finds himself torn. That had been the most peaceful sleep he’d gotten in a long time, but had Din meant what he had said the night before? He looks for the time and his brow scrunches up as he realizes what time it is.

_I don’t usually sleep in...why didn’t he wake me up?_ _Kriff, I must’ve been really tired..._ he hadn’t even noticed when Din had woken up and moved out of the bed...

As he untangles himself from the mess of blankets and gets off the bed, the door slides up. Corin glances over to see a small body running at him; the Child wobbles a few times and gets his feet caught on his robes once, but he manages to keep upright. He lets out a loud squeal, his hands raised with outstretched fingers and his ears perked up towards the ceiling. Corin laughs softly as he shakes his head and picks him up.

Gigi slides into the small compartment shortly after, her eyes searching for the kid. Seeing him in Corin's arms, however, she quickly settles down on the floor, tail thumping rhythmically. Her ears perk up and she whips her head around to look back out the door. She hops to her feet excitedly and darts out, only to be picked up by a pair of gloved hands. As Din comes into view around the doorframe, Gigi nuzzles up under his helmeted chin, sniffing at him eagerly; her tail beats out a steady rhythm against his chest plate.

Corin would smile at the sight if he wasn’t wondering what Din had come back in for. Keeping his expression neutral, he manages a steady, “Good morning.”

“Good...afternoon.”

Corin flushes again at the correction. Right, he’d slept in...

Seeming to sense his discomfort, Din clears his throat. “You haven’t missed much. The kid and Gi’ika have been keeping each other occupied while you were sleeping and I just worked on some new clothes for the Child.”

“Ah. Okay, yeah. Thank you for letting me know, I was a little afraid I’d missed out on something, sleeping in like that. I won’t make a habit of it.”

Din seems to consider his choice of words before stepping further into the room before brusquely saying, “You’re sleeping in here. I said last night that you don’t have to bunk with the kid anymore and I meant that.”

Corin’s chest feels tight and he struggles to find the words to reply.

Din sighs, his free hand reaching for his helmet. Corin’s eyes widen as the latch hisses and he gets an eyeful of messy helmet hair. Tucking his helmet under his arm awkwardly, Din bites at his lower lip and relaxes with a sigh. “Corin. I mean it. I can tell you slept a lot better here, so just...stay. I...slept better too.”

Corin searches Din’s face for any indication that he is simply trying to appease him, but he doesn’t see anything. Din just looks earnest, if a little uncomfortable.

He’s quiet for a few beats before he blurts, “You didn’t brush your hair.”

Din stares at him, one eyebrow raised and Corin huffs. “Alright, alright. I did...I did sleep better here. With you. So, I would really...like that.”

“Then it’s settled.” He turns to leave, but pauses. He looks at the ground, considering, before turning back to look at Corin. “If I make you uncomfortable at all, Corin…”

Corin cuts him off, “You don’t! I mean, I  _ know  _ what you meant but I don’t...think it’ll be an issue. Really, Din.”

Din nods briskly before breaking eye contact, eyes darting around before settling on the Child in Corin’s grasp. “You hungry?” he asks.

Caught off guard by topic change, Corin opens and closes his mouth in consideration before his stomach cuts in with an audible growl. The Child grabs at his hair with a coo and he grunts a little at the sharp tug. As he gently untangles the kid’s fingers from his hair, a small smile spreads over Din’s lips.

Distracted, Corin watches in silent fascination, wondering if he could make him smile like that more often as Din says, “I’ll make us all some lunch.” Another pause, and Corin notes that Din seems to stop to consider his words more often when he has his helmet off before he continues. “We’re on the same page, then?”

Corin’s thoughtful as he takes in Din’s honest gaze and he returns an awkward smile back, “Yeah. I think...I think we’re on the same page.” Din nods, satisfied, as he backs out of the room with Gigi still in hand.

As an afterthought, Corin quips, “Does this mean I can help you cook then?”

“Absolutely not!”

"No need to be rude," Corin sniffs, letting out an exaggerated huff as he gets up to follow Din out to their small kitchen space.

Din rolls his eyes. “I'd be happy to teach you, though," he says, shifting Gigi in his grasp as he glances over at him.

Corin grins. "I'd love that."

**Author's Note:**

> BTW, Gi'ika translates to 'little fish'.
> 
> kudos and comments are much appreciated!! <3
> 
> Next one's gonna be a BIT longer and should be posted next weekend. There's a lot these two have to work through and talk about...


End file.
